MPs told of need for heritage safeguards

More protection is needed for heritage and Special Character areas such as Devonport, local resident and former board member Trish Deans has told a Parliamentary select committee.

Speaking on behalf of Devonport Heritage at a special sitting in Auckland of the committee considering the Natural and Built Environment Bill, Deans said the bill needed more teeth to protect heritage buildings, beyond designated places covered by the New Zealand Heritage list.

She asked that stronger built-heritage directives be added to the bill, which is one of the legislative planks taking the place of the Resource Management Act (RMA).

Although Auckland Council had Historic Heritage and Special Character Areas in place across the region, including in Devonport, to recognise cultural and historically significant places for its residents, these were not recognised by national legislation, Deans pointed out in her sumbission.

“It is the duty of the RMA to include built-heritage areas in the legislation to ensure there is national consistency and constancy in our regulations for heritage areas across New Zealand,” she said.

Legislation merely protected individual properties in the Pouhere Taonga Act, where as places such as Queensland had legislation to protect areas of historic significance.

New Zealand offered national protection for conservation areas of natural significance, but not for heritage areas.

Deans said the select committee, chaired by Green MP Eugenie Sage, appeared to be receptive to the concept of heritage areas.

Members acknowledged that the council’s policies and objectives for heritage provided good guidance.

Auckland Council had 15 historic heritage areas in its Unitary Plan. Work was being completed to add more areas, including those of significance to mana whenua.

Across the country, Deans said there was a lack of cohesion on such protections, which varied from council to council.